Jose Figueres Ferrer

Jose Figueres Ferrer (25 September 1906-8 June 1990) was President of Costa Rica from 8 May 1948 to 8 November 1949 (succeeding Teodoro Picado and preceding Otilio Ulate Blanco), from 8 November 1953 to 8 May 1958 (succeeding Ulate and preceding Mario Echandi), and from 8 May 1970 to 8 May 1974 (succeeding Jose Joaquin Trejos Fernandez and preceding Daniel Oduber). He was a member of the social democratic National Liberation Party of Costa Rica.

Biography
Jose Figueres Ferrer was born in San Ramon, Costa Rica in 1906, the son of two immigrants from Catalonia. He was active in Costa Rican politics as a member of the social democratic PLN, and he led a civilian uprising in 1948 against the incumbent government's attempt to annul the election of the PLN's candidate for the presidency. He remained in power for the following months and introduced structural reforms to weaken the country's powerful institutions, abolishing the army and nationalizing the banks. In addition, he carried out welfare and educational reforms, and introduced universal suffrage. His efforts to strengthen democracy climaxed in the 1949 constitution, which became the basis of the country's political stability. After stepping down from the leadership of his country in 1949, he was twice elected President. In his two periods in office, Figueres continued in his efforts to enhance the country's democratic traditions. He died in 1990.